Last Summer I converted an old Univega to SS / Fixie. Basically, I stripped off all the components, sanded and painted the frame, replaced pretty much everything except the handlebars (and they're next to go), and hit the road -- with a freewheel.

One afternoon, with the sage advice of roadfix in mind ("It'll try to throw you off, but don't panic") I tried the fixed side of the hub, but didn't immediately fall in love with it. It seemed unnatural. I couldn't figure out what to do with my clipped-in feet when I stopped. I wanted to coast as I started up and as I turned. It was all too much at once (over-stimulation is my Achilles heel). But I figured I'd get back to it one day.

Skip forward to a month ago. My wife's great uncle dropped by for a long weekend. He's an avid cyclist (as well as pilot, physician, photographer -- he does pretty much everything) and he's exactly the same size as me, so he used my bicycles all weekend. He was keen on trying the fixie. So I flipped the wheel and let him have at it. The man is twice my age (he's 71), but he went out on it for an hour one rainy morning and loved it. Holy *****, I thought. What's my problem? Why haven't I nutted up and gotten back to the fixie?

So I tried again. Not too bad, thanks to Uncle Ed's inspiration and tips from BikeForums. But the chain was kind of worn by now, and the cheap crap I used to do the conversion was already sounding and feeling a bit tired, and I realized that the clipless pedals were causing me undue anxiety. So I cobbled together a new drivetrain (I'm running 46/17 now: Surly chainring, SRAM chain, and Dura Ace cog), switched from clipless to toe clips and hit the road.

Let's just say that I'm now completely hooked. It's a chilly night and I just pounded out five miles with the new drivetrain to make sure all the i's were dotted, the t's crossed, and the bolts tightened. I didn't want to stop. Everything is so much smoother and I'm loving the toe clips. Come Spring, you'll never see me off this machine.

Next up: risking the destruction of my future family by learning to skid.

have you tried riding a bomb yet?

...

Just watch out for fluoride.

Are you running brakes?

Edit: Stoned.

Slim Pickens.

A guy could have a pretty good time in Vegas with one of those.

hey!

you can't fight in here. this is the war room.

The Hitchhiker's Guide has this to say about fixed gear riding:

Oh damn... If only.

Having Sheldon gone makes me miss Douglas Adams even more. The Guide turned me on to reading, learning, and British wit when I was 15. Sheldon did the same for me and bikes when I was 22.

I need to start getting inspired by some 5 year olds. At least there's less of a chance that they'll get old and die before i do.

learn to skip 1st; it's much more useful and the preliminary to skidding.

whenever someone makes a post with some sort of cultural allusion in the subject line, everyone on this forum loves to pick at that rather than focus on the body. i love it.

***** always tryna eat somebodies burger

...

i hate wabbits

They're good odes. I can't believe nobody has warned me not to damage any of my precious bodily fluids when I go crotch to the stem.

In all fairness, I didn't expect serious responses: as a longtime lurker, I know better Just thought it was interesting to note that my new-found love of the fixie started with a guy twice my age kicking my butt on a bike and my getting rid of the clipless pedals. Speaking of which, I'm thinking of ditching work and going out riding....

I love to read stories from new converts. Anyway, I'm gonna ditch work too, and ride down to the health club so I can walk on the treadmill till I cry (freakin' physical therapy). The string in my leg is gone.

you don't really have to go nuts to stem.

I think there should be a holiday called "leave work early so you can ride your bike day"

pics of said fixed conversion needed

Friday?

ERRRRRDAY

I don't have pics with the new drivetrain yet, but here's one from last Summer:

behavior like this only renews what little faith i have in the internet.

sometimes i'd rather by surrounded by /b/tards than have to deal with your basic run-of-the-mill bfssfg'ers.

haha, well clearly. The pants and underwear are to the stem I would hope...